The Prompt: Rarity stops making a dress.
Rarity hmmed and hawed as she tried to figure out what else her current project and future masterpiece needed next. As was always the case with the fashion-minded unicorn, the dress had to be absolutely perfect. Every stitch needed to be perfectly executed, every single flourish flawless. Flourishes were her specialty, and this dress certainly was not lacking in them. Rarity smiled as she checked the front, making sure that the green bow across the chest was symmetrical. It was, of course. Such a detail would never have avoided her discerning eye. Of course, she wasn't completely perfect, as was made evident by the teal feathers that she had sewn into the train. She had no idea what she was thinking when she'd added those. Upon a second look, they were quite possibly the tackiest things she'd ever seen. She began to pull the feathers off violently, as an affront to the loveliness of this dress deserved no less. She managed to control herself at the last moment; surely such things could come in handy for a future project. Rarity carefully removed the offending feathers and set them in a heap on the ground. This was her inspiration room, and maybe they would serve for inspiration in the future.
Rarity inspected the armscye. She couldn't bear to make the same mistake she had a while back. Such a thing would be completely embarrassing for a talented dressmaker such as herself. She lit her horn up and gently pulled at the armscye, testing its elasticity. A measuring tape was introduced into the process, just to be safe. Rarity seemed satisfied when it stretched about 7/8 of an inch before becoming taut. The previous dress's armscye only stretched 5/8 of an inch, and that was simply inexcusable.
Rarity's eyes then shot to the middy collar. She glanced between it and the shawl lapel. They went together beautifully, eliciting another satisfied smile. But all was not well yet; there was still so much to double-check. She had made sure to sew every stitch of the dress with care, and without the aid of a machine. This dress deserved every single bit of effort that she could muster. Her gaze turned to the dress's pleats. She leaned close, every ounce of her attention concentrated on them. She was more than happy to find that they were perfectly even. Another masterful piece of work, and it looked lovely with this fabric, which was some of the most luxurious fabric she'd ever used.
Rarity then double-checked every single stitch, to make sure she had employed the correct stitches in each area of the dress. Not a single misused stitch to be found. She'd made absolutely sure to watch her use of backstitches, because she simply could not have a repeat of last time. A topstitch was definitely the correct choice right here, and she'd used it to perfection. The unicorn then walked in a circle around the dress, making sure she'd gone with a proper overdesign. This was the pinnacle of true French haute couture, and could not be mistaken as anything else, A factory-made dress could never hold the beauty that this one did. Rarity had sewn her raw emotions and her very soul into each stitch, poured her feelings into every lovingly-cut piece of fabric, and exhumed her very essence into the flourishes. This dress was a true Rarity creation, through and through. It had to be, because it had to be positively flawless to match the pony who was to wear it. It was almost there; true perfection had almost been achieved. All that was needed was one more addition, but exactly what said addition was eluded the unicorn. Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of inspiration, she realized it! It was-
"Um...hello?" Fluttershy called out as she entered Carousel Boutique. Rarity jumped; she certainly hadn't expected Fluttershy to visit today! The dress was supposed to be ready for tomorrow, but she had skipped sleep in order to get it done earlier. This proved to be a serendipitous move, as all she had to do was keep Fluttershy here while she added the last detail. Rarity stepped out of her room to meet Fluttershy, smiling widely. She was elated to find that Fluttershy was returning said smile.
"Fluttershy!" Rarity exclaimed. "What brings you here today?" Fluttershy's wings fluttered joyfully; she was unable to hide her excitement any longer.
"Rainbow Dash asked me out to dinner tonight!" Fluttershy said, smiling sweetly. Rarity blinked a few times.
"O-oh?" Rarity asked, her voice wavering slightly. "Well...how wonderful!" Fluttershy nodded happily.
"Do you have time to talk?" Fluttershy asked. "I don't know what to do on a dinner date...I've never been on one..." Rarity smiled a smile worthy of an Oscar nomination.
"I...I'm afraid I am quite busy, Fluttershy," Rarity lied. "I have quite a bit of work to do."
"Oh..." Fluttershy said. "Um...I'm sorry for interrupting..."
"Do not fret over it, Fluttershy," Rarity said, biting the inside of her cheek. "Perhaps you could visit after your d-date and tell me how it went?" Fluttershy smiled and nodded.
"I will," Fluttershy answered. "Have a nice day, Rarity!" The yellow pegasus trotted out the door. Rarity watched her go, then drooped. She headed back into her inspiration room and stared at the dress for a long moment. Through tear-hazed eyes, she levitated a pair of snips towards the dress. It was perfect. Perfect garbage.